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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · bore · pop · roll · mate · present · root · shower

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mate — to breed
  3. present — a gift
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pit — in a race
  9. roll — a list
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — to visit
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — soda
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com